JR HS [May-06]: Royal Bank Cup

Royal Bank Cup (posted 5.15.06)

by Ron Jones

The Burnaby Express defeated the Yorkton Terriers 8-2 to win the 2006 Royal Bank Cup Championship. It was the first victory by a team from the BCHL since the Vernon Vipers did it way back in 1999.

Kyle Turris displayed the skills that will make him a coveted player in the 2007 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He also led the event with 13 points (6gp, 7-6-13). In fact, of the top 10 scorers, Turris (1989) and his teammate Keith Seabrook (1988) were the only two not born in 1985.

Seabrook (6gp, 3-2-5) tied with Yorkton's Dustin Nehring (6gp, 2-3-5) for the scoring lead amongst defenseman with five points a piece.

Heart of Glass-er (posted 5.8.06)

by Ron Jones

Keith Seabrook (2006), D, Burnaby

Does a solid job keeping streaking forwards to the outside .. makes a quick transition from offense to defense .. carries the puck with his head up to look for the open man .. displays good effort in traffic and along the boards .. conscientious defensively and usually is the first man back .. shows no fear going into the dirty areas .. delivers crisp headman passes .. has the ability to change the pace of the game .. can be a punishing hitter in the open ice .. displays some grit .. plays in all situations and is a coach's dream.

Kyle Turris (2007), C, Burnaby

Displays a very high panic threshold at the point on the powerplay .. delivers crisp, tape-to-tape breakout passes .. supports the puck carrier .. usually keep his feet moving .. kills penalties .. has the vision to find open man and overall sees the game at an above average level .. won't hesitate to jump in from the point .. boasts nice hand-eye coordination which assists him in holding pucks in at the point .. works well in the face-off circle and holds up the opposing center long enough to allow his teammate time to make a play .. splendid passing skills .. is already an elite player at the Junior "A" level .. boasts tremendous finishing skills .. can roof the puck in close .. also boasts some feistiness to his game and although from being dominant physically he doesn't look intimidated going in to the dirty areas.

Mark Santorelli (2006), C, Burnaby

Moves the puck crisply .. boasts good mobility and uses it well to close off passing lanes .. takes pass easily at full speed .. comes back to support the defense .. would like to see his stride get stronger .. played mostly on the third line .. fairly responsible in his own zone, although it isn't a physical presence .. saw a bit of time on the powerplay as well as killing penalties .. kind of player that should probably be better than he is, but there is just something missing from his game.

Geoff Irwin (FA), RW, Burnaby

Overage forward knows how to find the holes and has a goal scorer's poise in the scoring areas .. wears an "A" .. doesn't hesitate in going in to traffic .. displays a willingness to shoot the puck .. doesn't always show enough determination away from the puck, but when he does he can really spark his team .. has the stickhandling ability and speed to beat a defender one-on-one .. blessed with elite acceleration and overall speed to put pressure on the forecheck .. is a regular on both special teams and plays in all situations.

Tyler McNeely (2006), C, Burnaby

Displays a willingness to take the body .. not hesitant to play in traffic and is surprisingly strong on the puck for a player of his size .. boasts very good speed and mobility .. looks confident getting his shot through and on net from the point .. surprisingly tough and can throw'em and will standup for his teammates .. does a pretty good job shielding the puck along the boards.

Heart of Glass-er (posted 5.4.06)

by Ron Jones

Brandon Sadlowski (2006), D, Fort McMurray

Committed to Merrimack .. can be pressured in to turnovers .. must be careful about not trying to force shots through traffic and thus getting them turned over .. wears an "A" .. plays on both special teams .. gets caught out of position at times and doesn't have the top end speed to recover easily .. should improve his strength to become more effective, especially in the dirty areas .. looks hesitant going in to areas where he'll take a hit .. needs to deliver crisper passes .. doesn't display much imagination while carrying the puck up the ice .. can be somewhat effective stickhandling if given time and space .. looks lackadaisical on occasion when going back to retrieve the dump in .. plays a lot in all situations .. keeps his point shot low .. must be more aware of opponents trying to slip in behind him .. not on the NHL radar at this time. (58gp, 5-27-32)

Mike Schreiber (FA), D, Fort McMurray

Committed to Union .. boasts good overall speed and mobility .. will join the rush and even lead it if the opportunity presents itself .. not a bad stickhandler, but doesn't always move the puck at the right time .. rarely shows much imagination with the puck and usually chooses to dump the puck in .. can be guilty of getting rid of the puck with blind passes which led to a few costly turnovers .. plays on both special teams .. boasts a nice smooth slap shot, although it won't overpower .. will pinch with his team down a few goals .. a bit behind Sadlowski in his chances of making the NHL. (60gp, 8-40-48)

Riley Laforge (2007), D, Fort McMurray

Takes a hit to make a play .. doesn't show much willingness (coaching decision?) to carry the puck, instead chooses to move it quickly .. must improve his passing as he misses the mark a bit too often .. looked relatively solid playing the one-on-one .. must be more determined and positionally sound to not allow the opposition to drive to the net so easily .. saw his ice-time decrease dramatically as the bench was shortened in pivotal games/situations .. rarely if ever saw time on the special teams .. needs to add some muscle over the summer to become more effective handling bigger opponents as well as increasing his outside shot at being drafted next season. (45gp, 2-5-7)

Jesse Craige (2007), D, Fort McMurray

Looks a bit hesitant going back for a puck when he knows he's going to take a hit .. isn't very strong on his skates .. communicates with his partner .. boasts very good top end speed and acceleration .. will join the rush and has the speed and mobility to elude the first checker .. plays both special teams and will likely become a mainstay on the Oil Baron's powerplay next season .. not surprising given his youth, but he's a bit tentative in the physical play .. can get his point shot through traffic .. if he uses his speed properly he can angle the puckcarrier out of harm's way .. can be somewhat effective taking the body if he generates enough speed before hand .. must be crisper with his passes .. has the mobility to hold off speedy puckcarriers on the one-on-one and as he physically matures he should be fairly solid in his own zone .. quicker shot release needed, especially when at the point on the powerplay .. will start to deliver on his upside and is definitely a player to watch for next season. (48gp, 4-7-11)

Brendan Roberts (2006), LW, Fort McMurray

Gangly, with a bit of a hunched over skating stride .. gets bodied off the puck too easily .. will come back to cover up for the pinching in defender .. displays some grit and will mix it up on occasion, however isn't big enough to be very effective .. takes the body and usually finishes his checks .. comes back all way to support the defense .. needs to build up his leg muscles to get more of a jump out of the blocks .. works hard and rarely hurts his team, however he doesn't accomplish much either. (33gp, 4-3-7)

Tyler Helfrich (2006), RW, Fort McMurray

Stocky winger looks for the openings in the offensive zone .. plays on both special teams .. shows an ability to jump on loose pucks and has a decent amount of finish at this level .. must upgrade his explosiveness with the puck .. displays nice vision and passing skills .. works hard in the dirty areas .. needs to get his shot away quicker, especially in traffic .. supports the puck carrier well .. dishes out crisp, clean passes when he's on his game .. takes the pass cleanly on the fore or backhand .. works hard away from the puck, but lacks the speed to create many turnovers or pressure for that matter .. gets tied up too easily on first contact and simply doesn't have the speed to get by most checkers. (51gp, 17-38-55)

Chevan Wilson (FA), C, Fort McMurray

Smallish overage pivot gets in really quick on the forecheck .. wears the "C" .. does a nice job protecting the puck in traffic .. plays in all situations .. takes the pass smoothly at full speed .. boasts good acceleration and mobility, but due to lack of strength has trouble driving through traffic .. has quick hands in the faceoff circle, however lacks the muscle to hold up larger centers .. is fairly passive on the PK, yet has the quickness to jump on a puckhandling mistake to create a turnover .. displays good defensive awareness .. boasts the overall skill to continue his hockey career, although it is doubtful that it will be in the NHL.

(60gp, 24-41-65)

Matt Glasser (Edm), LW, Fort McMurray

Committed to Denver for next season .. wears an "A" .. gets a nice jump from his first few strides .. boasts quick feet as well as very good mobility and acceleration .. displays nice defensive awareness and works hard away from the puck .. isn't overly effective taking the body, although not for lack of effort .. doesn't hesitate to drive the net, however lacks the strength to have much success .. dishes out crisp, accurate passes .. shows determination with or without the puck .. not afraid to shoot, yet at the same time distributes the puck effectively .. gets bounced off the puck way too easily .. lacks the strength to muscle by larger defenders .. keeps his feet moving all the time .. closes the gaps on the puck carriers .. has the ability to rush with the puck, but doesn't generally accomplish much as more often than not is forced to dump it in or he loses it altogether .. a high energy player with little finish and can get a bit handcuffed stickhandling at times .. a mainstay on the powerplay. (58gp, 15-20-35)

Hockey Night In Boston (HNIB) All-Scholastic Tourney (posted 5.2.06)

by Vincent Montalbano

Schedule/Results

Day 1

Junior Selects 2 Mid West/Pacific 2

AJHL 5 NY/Mid Atlantic 2

Junior Selects 3 AJHL 1

Mid West/Pacific 1 NY/Mid Atlantic 1

Mass. Privates/ISL 6 Mass. Public/Cath. 5

Mid West/Pacific 0 New England 6

Mass. Privates/ISL 4 New England 4

Mass. Public/Cath. 1 AJHL 3

AJHL 4 New England 2

Junior Selects 3 Mass. Privates/ISL 0

Junior Selects 3 NY/Mid Atlantic 0

Mass. Public/Cath. 4 Mid West/Pacific 3

Mass. Public/Cath. 4 New England 5

NY/Mid Atlantic 4 Mass. Privates/ISL 3

Day 2

Semis Junior Selects 5 NY/Mid Atlantic 3

Semis New England 7 AJHL 5

Mass. Public/ Cath. 2 Mid West/Pacific 3

Mass. Privates/ISL 7 Mass. Public/Cath. 2

Mass. Privates/ISL Mid West/Pacific

Championship New England 0 Junior Selects 5

Top Scorers

Nick Bonino (Avon) New England 11 points (4-7-11)

Jordan Krusch (Hebron) New England 10 points (7-3-10)

Matt Pedemonti (Hebron) New England 9 points (1-8-9)

Oscar vonSydow (NY Bobcats) AJHL All Stars 7 points (3-4-7)

Broc Little (Cushing) New England 7 points (3-4-7)

Tom Derosa (Cyclones) AJHL All Stars 6 points (2-4-6)

Brandon Smith (Bridgewater) Junior Selects 6 points (2-4-6)

Bill Manning (Bridgewater) Junior Selects 5 points (4-1-5)

Mike Vaskivuo (South Kent) NY/Mid Atlantic 5 points (4-1-5)

Jeremiah Cunningham (Salisbury) New England 5 points (2-3-5)

Roman Krivda (Trinity Pawling) New England 5 points (2-3-5)

Top 5 Forwards:

1. Nick Bonino (Avon/ New England)

highly skilled offensive player with deceptive speed .. superb stickhandler with a long reach and good vision .. an awkward skater with a weak stride and average speed .. his body still fairly immature .. defensive game needs more work. Had a tremendous tournament and led his team (New England) to the finals.

2. Tony Morrone (South Kent/ NY-Mid Atlantic)

Maine-bound .. has speed and quickness that makes him an extremely difficult player to defend against .. possesses a very quick release and dominates with the puck .. although only listed at 5'10", Morrone plays an intense, gritty game by throwing his body around to get the puck. Although was not in the top scoring, had a solid tournament.

3. David deKastrozza (Culver/Mid West/Pacific)

Maine-bound .. great size (listed as 6'4") for a forward, with above average skating ability, and he plays with an edge .. will need to fill out his frame once he starts playing against stronger players .. showed a lot of potential, however still needs to work on his overall game .. scored a nice goal against Mass. Public/ Catholic .. takes a lot of shots as one shift may have had about 4 quality shits on net .. will need to develop offensive skills more to be successful at the higher levels.

4. Mike Vaskivuo (South Kent/NY-Mid Atlantic)

Merrimack-bound .. had a tremendous game in the semi-finals against Junior Selects by scoring all his teams goals in a 5-3 loss .. won't be a huge physical presence, but still shows that he isn't afraid of taking a hit to make a play .. drives hard to the net and is willing to dig for the pucks in corners .. possesses soft hands and shows remarkable poise once on a scoring chance .. has good speed with his quick strides and a strong upper body.

5. Broc Little (Cushing/New England)

a slippery skater with above-average quickness .. a smooth puckhandler and can maneuver in traffic using his nifty stick moves .. his weakness is his lack of strength .. when a defender gets a hold of him, he has a slim chance of keeping the puck .. also at times seemed to have a lack of effort and gave up when he lost the puck .. offensively, he had a tremendous tournament.

(tie) Jordan Krusch (Hebron/New England)

skilled forward who possesses good vision, hockey smarts and scoring ability .. in the three games I saw for New England, Krusch scored two goals and a hat trick in two of them .. very quiet offensively in the championship game .. good skater with speed and good acceleration. Named Divison II First Team.

Honorable Mention: Brandon Smith (Bridgewater/Junior Selects) (Miami-Ohio-bound), Egor Petrov (Hill School/Mid West/ Pacific), Andrew Letellier (Jr. Pirates/AJHL) (Merrimack-bound), P.O. Michaud (Jr. Pirates/AJHL), Oscar vonSydow (NY Bobcats/AJHL), Adam Houli (Gunnery/NY Mid-Atlantic), Mario Valery-Trabucco (Northwood/ NY Mid-Atlantic), Matt McCollem (Belmont Hill/Mass. Private-ISL), Joe Smith (Phillips Andover/Mass. Private-ISL), Ryan Butler (Arlington Catholic/Mass. Public/Cath.), Mike DiOrio (Catholic Memorial/Mass. Public/ Cath.), Trevor Bradley (Avon/ New England) (Conn. College-bound)

Top 5 Defense:

1. Pat Cullity (Berkshire/Mass. Private- ISL)

Vermont-bound .. exceptional skating ability with a tremendous understanding of the game .. his speed allows him to jump into the play and get back defensively .. smart and possesses great on-ice vision, and makes very good decisions .. has great offensive abilities as well .. very good passing skills and has no trouble getting pucks to the net .. will need to grow into his body (listed as 6'2") .. at times, can be too offensive and allowed forward to slip behind him.

2. Mark Zarbo (CD Selects/Junior Selects)

Bentley-bound .. a responsible player in his own zone and has good defensive positioning .. can carry the puck up the ice .. also can move the puck quickly and make hard, sharp passes .. his shot from the point is average at best, but always remains low for tips.

3. Ken Trentowski (Avon/ NY-Mid Atlantic)

tremendous poise with the puck and good vision .. his passing ability is his best asset as he is able to send his teammates with long .. a solid skater with adequate speed .. overall, a good puckmoving defenseman who's effective on the power play with a decent point shot and playmaking abilities.

4. Aleksander Romanenko (Hebron/New England)

a Ukraine native who played for HC Druzhba'78, which toured in the U.S. last year and helped many of their players find schools and teams to play on .. Romanenko is a talented offensive defenseman, but is a bit raw in the defensive end .. an awkward skater with not much speed and has a hard time handling the small-quick forwards down low .. in the offensive-zone, possesses a low, hard point shot from the point but takes awhile to get the shot off .. has the ability to skate the puck up the ice and make crisp passes and possesses good vision in the offensive zone. Named Division II First Team.

5. Kevin McNamara (Belmont Hill/Mass. Private- ISL)

another offensive defenseman who holds his own on the defensive end but his game lacks a physical edge... can move the puck up the ice whether by carrying it through the neutral zone or by a well timed pass...has a low, hard shot from the point and possesses patience in the offensive zone.

(tie) Roman Krivda (Trinity Pawling/New England)

another Ukraine native who also played for HC Druzhba'78 with Romanenko .. can play forward and defense .. as a forward, shows flashes of creativity and finishing skills as he scored 2 goals when up front .. on defense, he is similar to Romanenko, very offensive and raw defensively .. also an awkward skater, but has good speed and hands to rush the puck up the ice .. tries too many long outlet passes instead of making the easy tape-to-tape passes out of the zone.

Honorable Mention: Toby Heaslip (Jersey Hitmen/Junior Selects), Matt Bell (Cyclones/AJHL), Mike Blundon (Kent/NY Mid-Atlantic)

Top 3 Goalies:

1. Tom O'Brien (Bridgewater/ Junior Selects)

Notre Dame-bound .. the best goalie in the tournament, who definitely helped his team get into the championship game against New England .. one game against NY/ Mid Atlantic, O'Brien was getting run into on multiple occasions, but he held is ground and kept his composure .. usually square to the puck and it appears shooters find it difficult to find an opening against him .. strong reflexes however he does have a tendency to play deep in his net .. recruited to play at Notre Dame next year where he will be behind senior David Brown and sophomore Jordan Pearce.

2. Ben Severance (Kimball Union/ NY-Mid Atlantic)

a big goaltender standing 6'3 and weighing 210 pounds, Severance covers a lot net .. had a good tournament and ended up second in stats .. for a big goalie, has good reflexes and rarely gets caught out of position .. with two other goalies in the tournament, his ice-time was limited unlike O'Brien who shared the crease with one other goalie .. was a senior this past season for Kimball Union and played 27 games (GAA 2.85, SO 1).

3. Derrick Babinski (Jr. Huskies/Junior Selects)

along with O'Brien, helped Junior Selects have the lowest goals against out of all the teams in the tournament (heading into the championship game they had 6 total goals against) .. solid but not flashy, but does tend to give up rebounds .. a smaller goalie (listed as 5'9") and relies on his quickness .. played 12 games for the Jr. Huskies (GAA 2.5, SO 0) .. had a solid tournament with a good team in front of him.

Honorable Mention: Richard Sillery (Gilmour/Mid West/Pacific), Randy Wolcott (Avon/ New England), Kyle Rank (Kent/ New England)